Saudade

Chapter 26 The Invisible Flight to London Ophelia

"I'm not going... I don't need the hospital wing... I don't want..." Harry said weakly as he tried to pull away from Professor Tofty, who was looking at Harry with much concern after helping him out into the Entrance Hall with the students all around them staring. Ophelia hadn't realized she left the Great Hall as well. Trotting behind them concerned.

"It's okay, sir," Ophelia said, her voice cracked. "I can take him."

"Yes, all right then," the old wizard said sympathetically, patting Harry shakily on the shoulder. "Take them there and perhaps you will be ready to return to the Great Hall? The examination is nearly over, but you may be able to round off your last answer nicely?"

"Yes," Harry said wildly. "I mean... no... I've done--done as much as I can, I think..."

"Very well, very well," the old wizard said gently. "I shall go and collect your examination paper. And I assume you are done as well."

Ophelia nodded. Of course she hadn't finished but she wasn't going back until she knew Harry was okay.

The second that the old man's heels disappeared over the threshold into the Great Hall, Harry grabbed Ophelia's hand and ran up the marble staircase.

"Harry, what's going on?" Ophelia panted as they hurtled along the corridors so fast the portraits they passed muttered reproaches.

But Harry said nothing, remaining forced on wherever he was going. Finally, they burst like a hurricane through the double doors of the hospital wing, causing Madam Pomfrey--who had been spooning some bright blue liquid into Montague's open mouth--to shriek in alarm.

"Potter, Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?"

"I need to see Professor McGonagall," Harry gasped, the breath tearing his lungs. "Now... it's urgent!"

"She's not here, Potter," Madam Pomfrey said sadly. "She was transferred to St. Mungo's this morning. Four Stunning Spells straight to the chest at her age? It's a wonder they didn't kill her."

"She's... gone?" Harry said, shocked.

The bell rang just outside the dormitory hearing the usual distant rumbling of students starting to flood out into the corridors above and below them. Ophelia glanced at Harry, he remained quite still, looking at Madam Pomfrey, terror in his eyes.

"I don't wonder you're shocked, Potter," Madam Pomfrey said, with a kind of fierce approval on her face. "As if one of them could have Stunned Minerva McGonagall face-on by daylight! Cowardice, that's what it was... despicable cowardice... if I wasn't worried what would happen to you students without me, I'd resign in protest."

"Yes," Harry said blankly.

His hand still in hers, he wheeled around and strode blindly from the hospital wing into the teeming corridor where he stood, buffeted by the crowd.

"Harry, talk to me, what happened?" Ophelia said frowning. "Maybe we should find Ron and Her--"

"Ron and Hermione!" he exclaimed as though he had forgotten they existed. "Let's go."

They were running again, pushing students out of the way, oblivious to their angry protests. Harry sprinted with Ophelia at his heels, back down two floors, and was at the top of the marble staircase when they saw them hurrying towards them.

"Harry!" Hermione said at once, looking very frightened. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you ill?"

"Where have you been?" Ron demanded.